Football Signing Day

Wednesday morning (Dec. 21) in the Tiger Palace, Jesuit High School celebrated four phenomenal 4-year football players who signed with the college of their choice on the first day of the Football Signing Period.

The signees are:

• LB Troy Bowles - University of Georgia
• WR Jarriett Buie - University of Iowa
• DL Andre Morris - University of Northern Iowa
• RB Joquez Smith - Temple University

With family, friends, coaches, teammates, and media in attendance, the quartet of superlative seniors, who led the Tigers to the Region title all four seasons at Jesuit under head coach Matt Thompson as well as the 2021 State Championship, made it official and signed their Letter of Intent.

Moments before they signed, school president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. commended the signees of their accomplishments at Jesuit and encouraged them to continue as 'Men for Others' and as leaders in college. Then Jesuit athletic director Terry Rupp '84 instructed the signees to put pen to paper and make it official.

Bowles, a 4-year starter, developed into a national recruit with dozens of scholarship offers before choosing the Bulldogs, the 2021 National Champions, over Ohio State. Buie, who was Jesuit's leading receiver this season, also emerged as a threat this fall as a punt returner. He follows in the footsteps of Dane Belton '19, who signed with Iowa, became an All-Big Ten defensive back, and now plays for the New York Giants.

Morris overcame significant injury adversity, missing both his sophomore and junior seasons, before emerging as a force in the interior defensive line this season for the Tigers. He chose Northern Iowa over several offers, including a preferred walk-on offer from the University of Florida.

Smith is one of the most prolific players in Hillsborough County history. He ranks third all-time in total touchdowns (75) and is only the fifth player in county annals to surpass 5,000 rushing yards (5,010). He will take his talents to Philadelphia and Temple, where the Owls play in the American Athletic Conference along with South Florida and Central Florida.  

This signing period is specially designated for football only. There are three other signing periods each year, fall, winter, and spring, Several more Tigers are expected to sign to play college football during the winter or spring signing period.